JP2023177907A - Air conditioning equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide air conditioning equipment enabling suppression of an increase in the unevenness of temperature distribution in a room, and furthermore enabling the control to blow air to living bodies in the room.SOLUTION: The air conditioning equipment includes a plurality of air direction setting mechanisms, a temperature sensor, a living body sensor, and a control unit. Each of the plurality of air direction setting mechanisms can set the air direction of conditioned air to be blown into the room. The temperature sensor detects the temperature of a wall in the room. The living body sensor detects the position of bodies in the room. The control unit controls a part of the plurality of air direction setting mechanisms in such a manner that air is directed to the wall on the basis of the detection result of the temperature sensor, and also controls other portion of the plurality of air direction setting mechanisms in such a manner that air is directed to the bodies or directed to avoid the bodies on the basis of the detection result of the living body sensor.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Embodiments of the present invention relate to an air conditioner.

BACKGROUND ART Conventionally, air conditioners including an indoor unit and an outdoor unit are known. Some air conditioners are equipped with a human detection sensor that detects whether a human is present in a room (room, indoors) where an indoor unit is installed, and have a function of reflecting the detection result in air blow control. For example, some devices have a function of blowing air toward the person when the presence of a person in the room is detected.

International Publication No. 2020/075244

In this type of air conditioner, when cold air or warm air is blown towards people, the temperature distribution within the room may become highly uneven.

An example of a problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide an air conditioner that can control air blowing to living organisms indoors while suppressing an increase in unevenness in indoor temperature distribution.

An air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a plurality of wind direction setting mechanisms, a temperature sensor, a biological sensor, and a control section. Each of the plurality of wind direction setting mechanisms can set the wind direction of the conditioned air blown into the room. The temperature sensor detects the temperature of the wall in the room. The living body sensor detects a living body in the room. The control unit controls a part of the plurality of wind direction setting mechanisms so that the wind direction is directed toward the wall based on the detection result of the temperature sensor, and also controls a part of the plurality of wind direction setting mechanisms based on the detection result of the biological sensor. , controlling another part of the plurality of wind direction setting mechanisms so that the wind direction is directed towards the living body or away from the living body.

The air conditioner includes, for example, an indoor unit. The indoor unit has the plurality of wind direction setting mechanisms and is installed in the room. At least one of the temperature sensor and the biological sensor is installed in a position different from the indoor unit in the room.

In the air conditioner, for example, the control unit may cause the wind direction to be directed toward an area of the wall where the wind direction can be set and where the temperature detected by the temperature sensor is highest. The portion of the plurality of wind direction setting mechanisms is controlled.

In the air conditioner, for example, the control unit controls the plurality of airflow directions so that the airflow direction is directed toward an area of the wall that is set in advance as a target for air blowing, and has the highest temperature detected by the temperature sensor. the part of the wind direction setting mechanism of the controller.

The air conditioner includes, for example, a refrigerant circuit. The refrigerant circuit performs air conditioning of the air. The control unit controls the refrigerant circuit so that the temperature of the air blown into the room becomes lower than a set temperature in the dehumidification mode.

The air conditioner includes, for example, an indoor unit. The indoor unit includes the plurality of wind direction setting mechanisms and a casing that supports the plurality of wind direction setting mechanisms, and is installed in the room. The casing has two side walls and a spanning portion spanning the two side walls. The plurality of wind direction setting mechanisms are provided on at least one of the side walls and the spanning portion.

According to the above-described air conditioner, it is possible to control the air flow to the living body indoors while suppressing an increase in unevenness in the indoor temperature distribution.

FIG. 1 is an exemplary and schematic block diagram showing a schematic configuration of an air conditioner according to a first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of the indoor unit of the air conditioner according to the first embodiment, and is an exemplary and schematic cross-sectional view showing the case where the upper and lower wind direction plates are in a closed state. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the configuration of the indoor unit of the air conditioner according to the first embodiment, and is an exemplary and schematic cross-sectional view showing the case where the upper and lower wind direction plates are in an open state. FIG. 4 is an exemplary and schematic perspective view showing the configuration of the indoor unit of the air conditioner according to the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the configuration of the indoor unit of the air conditioner according to the first embodiment, and is an exemplary and schematic cross-sectional view showing the case where the ventilation member is in an open state. FIG. 6 is an exemplary and schematic perspective view showing the ventilation member of the air conditioner according to the first embodiment. FIG. 7 is an exemplary and schematic cross-sectional view illustrating that turbulence is generated by the ventilation member of the air conditioner according to the first embodiment. FIG. 8 is an exemplary and schematic block diagram showing details of the indoor unit control section of the air conditioner according to the first embodiment. FIG. 9 is an exemplary and schematic side view showing a room in which the indoor unit in the first embodiment is installed. FIG. 10 is an exemplary and schematic plan view showing a room in which the indoor unit in the first embodiment is installed. FIG. 11 is a front view illustratively and schematically showing an indoor unit of an air conditioner according to the second embodiment. FIG. 12 is a side view illustratively and schematically showing an indoor unit of an air conditioner according to the second embodiment. FIG. 13 is a front view exemplarily and schematically showing the wind direction setting mechanism of the air conditioner according to the second embodiment. FIG. 14 is a diagram schematically showing an example of the flow of air blown out from the wind direction setting mechanism of the air conditioner according to the second embodiment. FIG. 15 is an exemplary and schematic plan view showing a room in which an indoor unit according to the second embodiment is installed. FIG. 16 is an exemplary and schematic side view showing a room in which an indoor unit is installed in the first modification of the second embodiment. FIG. 17 is an exemplary and schematic plan view showing a room in which an indoor unit is installed in a second modified example of the second embodiment.

Hereinafter, embodiments of an air conditioner according to the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In this specification, a component according to an embodiment and a description of the component may be described in a plurality of expressions. The components and their descriptions are examples and are not limited by the language in this specification. Components may also be identified by different names than herein. Also, components may be described using language that differs from that used herein.

Further, the drawings are schematic, and the dimensional relationship of each element, the ratio of each element, etc. may differ from reality. Furthermore, drawings may include portions with different dimensional relationships and ratios. Further, in this specification, ordinal numbers are used only to distinguish parts, members, regions, positions, directions, etc., and do not indicate order or priority.

<First embodiment>
FIG. 1 is an exemplary and schematic block diagram showing a schematic configuration of an air conditioner 1 according to an embodiment that includes an indoor unit 10 and an outdoor unit 100.

The air conditioner 1 includes an operating terminal 94a, an indoor unit 10, and an outdoor unit 100. The indoor unit 10 is placed indoors, and the outdoor unit 100 is placed outside the room R. The operating terminal 94a receives an operating instruction from the living body CR existing in the room R, and transmits an instruction to the indoor unit 10 in accordance with the accepted operating instruction. The living body CR is, for example, a human being, a pet, or the like. The operation terminal 94a is, for example, a remote controller. Note that the operating terminal 94a may be a smartphone or the like that operates with a dedicated application.

The indoor unit 10 of the air conditioner 1 of this embodiment includes a radar 2 and detects a detection target present in the room where the indoor unit 10 is installed. In this embodiment, the detection target includes not only the living body CR but also furniture (chairs, sofas, beds, etc.) and walls that can be used by the living body CR. That is, the radar 2 can also detect the size (indoor), volume, etc. of the room in which the indoor unit 10 is installed. The living body CR is a human being, a pet, etc. Radar 2 is an example of a biological sensor. Note that the biological sensor is not limited to the radar 2.

In the present embodiment, the air conditioner 1 (indoor unit 10) acquires information particularly regarding biological CR among the detection targets detected by the radar 2, and generates wind (conditioned air) suitable for the biological CR existing indoors. The control mode is determined so as to provide the following information. For example, based on the detection result of the radar 2, the control unit of the indoor unit 10 (indoor unit control unit 80 described later) can consider (determine) that the detection target is a “biological CR” when the detection target moves. . When the object to be detected enters the room, the indoor unit 10 (radar 2) recognizes it as a living body CR by detecting the movement of the object to be detected, and causes the recognition to be reflected in the control of the indoor unit 10. In addition, the indoor unit 10 (radar 2) detects the movement of the detection target, for example, when the detection target moves, even if the detection target does not move indoors (room) (there is no change in the detection position). If a behavior of a part of the object to be detected is detected, it is recognized as a biological CR and is reflected in the control of the indoor unit 10. On the other hand, the indoor unit 10 (radar 2) considers objects that remain stationary (for example, furniture, walls, etc.) to be non-living objects, and excludes them from being subject to control by the indoor unit 10. Note that the determination of whether or not it is a biological CR is not limited to this, and may also detect the shape, pulsation, etc. of the detection target. Further, other sensors such as an infrared sensor may be provided, and the detection result may be used to determine whether or not it is a biological CR.

In addition to the radar 2, the indoor unit 10 includes an indoor unit control section 80, a vertical wind direction plate 25, a left and right wind direction plate 29, and room temperature sensors 3A and 3B. The room temperature sensor 3A detects, for example, the temperature of the air near the suction port 32 of the indoor unit 10. The indoor unit control section 80 controls each section so that, for example, the temperature detected by the room temperature sensor 3A becomes a set temperature. Further, the room temperature sensor 3B detects the indoor temperature (temperature distribution) and the temperature (temperature distribution) of the walls of the room. Room temperature sensor 3B is, for example, an infrared sensor. The indoor unit control section 80 controls the direction of air blown out from the indoor unit 10, for example, based on the detection result of the room temperature sensor 3B. The indoor unit control section 80 performs air conditioning processing according to a command received from the operating terminal 94a, and also performs control according to the biological CR detected using the radar 2. The indoor unit 10 can be controlled in a "radar control mode" which is essentially automatic control based on the detection results by the radar 2, and in a "radar control mode" which is essentially automatic control based on the detection results by the radar 2, and in which the indoor unit 10 is controlled without using the radar 2 when the user operates using the operation terminal 94a. (setting) "normal control mode".

In the "radar control mode", the radar 2 continuously or intermittently detects the position of the detection target (biological CR) indoors under the control of the indoor unit control section 80. The indoor unit control unit 80 tracks the position of the detected living body CR and controls the vertical wind direction plate 25, the left and right wind direction plate 29, so as to send wind toward the living body CR or conversely to a position avoiding the living body CR. Controls the ventilation member 26 and the like. The indoor unit control section 80 controls the direction of the wind (conditioned air) blown out from the indoor unit 10 by controlling the operation of the vertical wind direction plate 25 and the left and right wind direction plates 29.

As a result, the way the conditioned air is blown out from the indoor unit 10 can be dynamically changed according to the movement of the biological CR existing within the detection area, so the comfort of the biological CR existing indoors can be dynamically changed. can be improved.

Specifically, the indoor unit 10 performs air conditioning processing on the air sucked in from the room through the suction port, and blows out the conditioned air that has been subjected to the air conditioning processing toward the room. The air conditioning process includes, for example, endothermic treatment (cooling), heat treatment (heating), dehumidification treatment, humidification treatment, ventilation treatment, air cleaning treatment, and the like. Endothermic treatment, heating treatment, dehumidification treatment, humidification treatment, ventilation treatment, and air purification treatment are respectively performed in cooling operation mode, heating operation mode, dehumidification operation mode, and humidification as the operation modes (main operation modes) of the air conditioner 1. Compatible with driving mode, ventilation driving mode, and air purifying driving mode.

Note that the main operation mode can be combined with a control mode (radar control mode, normal control mode) as appropriate. In the radar control mode, the air conditioner 1 (indoor unit 10) can take any of the cooling operation mode, heating operation mode, dehumidification operation mode, humidification operation mode, ventilation operation mode, and air purification operation mode. Note that in the radar control mode, the driving modes that can be combined are not limited to those described above, and other driving modes can also be combined. The same applies to the normal control mode.

In the air conditioning process, the humidification process may be omitted. At this time, the humidification operation mode may be omitted as the operation mode of the air conditioner 1.

In the auxiliary operation mode, the indoor unit 10 generates a turbulent flow that spreads over a wide range by mixing two types of wind speeds when blowing out conditioned air, and transforms the emitted wind into a gentle wind flow ( It has a calm mode that creates a so-called calm wind (registered trademark). The auxiliary operation mode can be appropriately combined with a control mode (radar control mode, normal control mode), and can be appropriately combined with the main operation mode.

The indoor unit 10 may have an automatic operation mode as an operation mode. The indoor unit 10 detects indoor and wall temperatures using a room temperature sensor 3A. In the automatic operation mode, the indoor unit 10 (indoor unit control unit 80) operates in the heating operation mode if the detected temperature is higher than the set temperature, and operates in the heating operation mode if the detected temperature is lower than the set temperature. It's okay.

The air cleaning process includes, for example, an ion emission method that releases ions into the air, an ultraviolet irradiation method that irradiates the inside of the indoor unit 10 with ultraviolet rays to sterilize bacteria, and a method that removes bacteria when indoor air is sucked into the indoor unit 10. This is performed using a dust collection method that collects dust. Note that the dust collection method includes, for example, a filter dust collection method and an electric dust collection method. In the filter dust collection method, air is passed through a fine-mesh filter such as a HEPA filter, and dirt substances such as dust are filtered out by the filter to be removed from the air. In the electrostatic precipitator method, dirt substances such as dust contained in the air that is inhaled are charged with a high-pressure discharge, and then captured by being adsorbed to a dust collection unit (for example, a heat exchanger 22 or a filter charged to the opposite polarity). collect. Note that the dirt substances adsorbed on the heat exchanger 22 can be automatically discharged outdoors together with, for example, when dew condensation water that has condensed on the surface of the heat exchanger is discharged.

As shown in FIG. 1, in the air conditioner 1, the indoor unit 10 includes a radar 2, an indoor unit control unit 80, a room temperature sensor 3, a heat exchanger 22, a fan 23, a filter 24 (described later), and a vertical wind direction. It includes a plate 25, a left and right wind direction plate 29, a ventilation member 26, a receiving device 94, and the like. The indoor unit control section 80 constitutes the control section 200 together with the outdoor unit control section 180 of the outdoor unit 100. Furthermore, the heat exchanger 22 is included in a refrigerant circuit 201 through which refrigerant flows. The indoor unit 10 also includes a first control circuit 81, a second control circuit 82, a third control circuit 83, a phone motor 84, a vertical wind direction plate motor 85, a left and right wind direction plate motor, which are controlled by the indoor unit control section 80. 86, a switching motor 87, etc. In the case of the configuration shown in FIG. 1, an example is shown in which the air cleaning unit 4 that performs an electrostatic precipitator method is controlled by the indoor unit control section 80 as the air cleaning process.

The outdoor unit 100 also includes a heat exchanger 122, a fan 123, a four-way valve 124, a compressor 125, an outdoor unit control section 180, a fourth drive circuit 181, a fifth drive circuit 182, a sixth drive circuit 183, and a fan motor 184. , a valve switching motor 185, a compressor motor 186, and the like.

In the indoor unit 10, the fan 23 is arranged near the heat exchanger 22. The fan 23 guides the air sucked in from the room through the suction port of the indoor unit 10 to the heat exchanger 22, and also guides the conditioned air that has been heat exchanged with the heat exchanger 22 to the outlet of the indoor unit 10. The indoor unit control section 80 drives the phone motor 84 with the first control circuit 81 to rotate the fan 23 around the rotation axis. The indoor unit control section 80 can change the rotation speed of the fan 23.

The heat exchanger 22 has, for example, a flow path connected to a refrigerant pipe and a plurality of fins. The heat exchanger 22 exchanges heat between the air sucked in from the room and the refrigerant passing through the flow path.

In the outdoor unit 100, the fan 123 is arranged near the heat exchanger 122. The fan 123 rotates under the control of the outdoor unit control section 180. Thereby, the fan 123 sucks in outside air and guides it to the heat exchanger 122, and discharges the outside air that has been heat exchanged with the heat exchanger 122 to the outside of the outdoor unit 100. The outdoor unit control unit 180 drives the fan motor 184 with the fourth drive circuit 181 to rotate the fan 123 around the rotation axis. The indoor unit control section 80 can change the rotation speed of the fan 123 via the outdoor unit control section 180.

The heat exchanger 122 has, for example, a flow path and a plurality of fins. Heat exchanger 122 is in thermal contact with a refrigerant circuit passing nearby. The heat exchanger 122 exchanges heat with the outside air and the refrigerant passing through the flow path.

Four-way valve 124 is included in refrigerant circuit 201. The four-way valve 124 can switch the refrigerant flow path in the refrigerant circuit 201 between the cooling side and the heating side according to control by the outdoor unit controller 180. The outdoor unit control unit 180 can drive the valve switching motor 185 using the fifth drive circuit 182 to switch the four-way valve 124 between the cooling side and the heating side. The indoor unit control section 80 can switch the four-way valve 124 between the cooling side and the heating side via the outdoor unit control section 180.

Compressor 125 is included in refrigerant circuit 201. The compressor 125 compresses and sends out the refrigerant by the outdoor unit controller 180 under the control of the indoor unit controller 80 . The outdoor unit control unit 180 drives the compressor motor 186 with the sixth drive circuit 183, and causes the compressor 125 to perform a cycle operation of compressing the refrigerant. The indoor unit control section 80 can change the number of cycles of the compressor 125 (the number of times compression cycles are executed per unit time) via the outdoor unit control section 180.

For example, in the air conditioner 1, the control unit 200 (indoor unit control unit 80 and outdoor unit control unit 180) switches the four-way valve 124 to the cooling side in the cooling operation mode. Then, the heat exchanger 22 performs heat absorption processing, causes the refrigerant to absorb heat from the indoor air, and blows out the heat-absorbed conditioned air into the room. Then, heat radiation processing is performed in the heat exchanger 122, and the heat absorbed by the refrigerant is released to the outside air.

Alternatively, in the air conditioner 1, the control unit 200 (indoor unit control unit 80 and outdoor unit control unit 180) switches the four-way valve 124 to the heating side in the heating operation mode. Then, the heat exchanger 122 performs heat absorption processing to cause the refrigerant to absorb heat from the outside air. Then, heat treatment is performed in the heat exchanger 22, the indoor air is heated with the heat absorbed by the refrigerant, and the heated conditioned air is blown into the room.

The vertical wind direction plate 25 and the left and right wind direction plate 29 each set (adjust) the direction of the conditioned air blown into the room. Wind direction means the direction of the wind. In this specification, the indoor unit control unit 80 directly controls the direction in which the vertical wind direction plate 25 and the left and right wind direction plates 29 face. The direction of the wind immediately after it is blown out of the mouth (wind direction) is treated as approximately the same as the direction of the wind. That is, the vertical wind direction plate 25 and the left and right wind direction plates 29 can set (adjust) the wind direction according to their orientation, and the indoor unit control unit 80 controls the orientation of the vertical wind direction plate 25 and the left and right wind direction plate 29, thereby Wind direction can be controlled. Note that the directions of the vertical wind direction plate 25 and the left and right wind direction plates 29 can be controlled individually. As a result, it is possible to blow out air whose wind direction is aligned in one direction from the entire outlet of the indoor unit 10, or it is possible to blow out air whose wind direction is aligned in one direction from the entire outlet of the indoor unit 10. It is also possible to blow out two or more winds each having a different direction from the above areas.

The vertical wind direction plate 25 can be switched between a closed position and an open position. The vertical wind direction plate 25 closes the air outlet when switched to the closed position. When the vertical wind direction plate 25 is switched to the open position, the air outlet is opened. With the air outlet opened by the operation of the vertical wind direction plate 25, the vertical wind direction plate 25 and the left and right wind direction plates 29 set (adjust) the direction of the conditioned air blown into the room. The vertical wind direction plate 25 sets (adjusts) the wind direction of conditioned air in the vertical direction. The left-right wind direction plate 29 sets (adjusts) the wind direction of the conditioned air in the left-right direction.

A more specific structure of the indoor unit 10 will be described using FIGS. 2 to 7. FIG. 2 is an exemplary and schematic cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the indoor unit 10.

As described above, the indoor unit 10 includes a heat exchanger 22, a fan 23, a filter 24, a plurality of vertical wind direction plates 25 (25A, 25B), and a plurality of left and right wind direction plates 29 inside the casing 21. (See FIGS. 1 and 4), and includes a ventilation member 26 and the like. The vertical wind direction plate 25, the left and right wind direction plate 29, and the ventilation member 26 may also be referred to as a louver.

As shown in each drawing after FIG. 2, in this specification, for convenience, the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis are defined. The X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis are orthogonal to each other. The X-axis is provided along the width of the indoor unit 10. The Y-axis is provided along the depth of the indoor unit 10. The Z axis is provided along the height of the indoor unit 10.

Additionally, the X direction, Y direction and Z direction are defined herein. The X direction is a direction along the X axis, and includes a +X direction indicated by an arrow on the X axis, and a -X direction opposite to the arrow on the X axis. The Y direction is a direction along the Y axis, and includes a +Y direction indicated by an arrow on the Y axis and a -Y direction which is the opposite direction to the arrow on the Y axis. The Z direction is a direction along the Z axis, and includes a +Z direction indicated by an arrow on the Z axis and a -Z direction opposite to the arrow on the Z axis. In this embodiment, the +Z direction is the upward direction, and the -Z direction is the downward direction.

The housing 21 is formed into a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape extending in the X direction. Note that the housing 21 may be formed in other shapes. The casing 21 is mounted, for example, on a wall of a building (indoor). The housing 21 has an upper surface 21a, a lower surface 21b, and two side surfaces 21e and 21f. The upper surface 21a is provided at or near the upper end of the housing 21, and faces substantially upward. The lower surface 21b is provided at or near the lower end of the housing 21 and faces substantially downward. Further, the housing 21 has two side walls 21h including side surfaces 21e and 21f, and a spanning portion 21i spanning the two side walls 21h. The spanning portion 21i includes an upper surface 21a and a lower surface 21b.

The housing 21 is provided with a ventilation passage 31, an inlet 32, and an outlet 33. The ventilation path 31 is provided inside the housing 21 . The suction port 32 opens on the upper surface 21a of the housing 21, for example. The air outlet 33 opens, for example, on the lower surface 21b of the housing 21. The suction port 32 and the blowout port 33 may be opened in other parts of the housing 21.

The indoor unit 10 can pass air through the ventilation path 31. Wind is a flow of gas such as air. The suction port 32 is provided at one end of the ventilation passage 31 and communicates the ventilation passage 31 with the outside of the indoor unit 10 . The air outlet 33 is provided at the other end of the ventilation passage 31 and communicates the ventilation passage 31 with the outside of the indoor unit 10 . In other words, the ventilation passage 31 is provided between the inlet 32 and the outlet 33 inside the housing 21 .

Heat exchanger 22 is provided in ventilation passage 31 . The heat exchanger 22 exchanges heat with surrounding gas in the ventilation passage 31. Thereby, the heat exchanger 22 cools the air flowing through the ventilation path 31 during the cooling operation, and heats the air flowing through the ventilation path 31 during the heating operation.

The fan 23 is provided in the ventilation path 31. The fan 23 sends air from the suction port 32 to the blowout port 33 in the ventilation path 31 by rotating around a rotation axis Axf extending in the X direction. Thereby, the indoor unit 10 sucks indoor air into the ventilation passage 31 from the suction port 32 and blows out the air (wind) in the ventilation passage 31 from the outlet 33. Therefore, in this specification, the side of the ventilation passage 31 that is closer to the suction port 32 is referred to as upstream, and the side that is closer to the outlet 33 is referred to as downstream.

Fan 23 is located downstream of heat exchanger 22. Therefore, when the fan 23 generates wind, the air sucked in from the suction port 32 passes through the fins of the heat exchanger 22. Thereby, the air flowing through the ventilation path 31 exchanges heat with the heat exchanger 22.

The filter 24 is provided at the suction port 32 or near the suction port 32 in the ventilation path 31 . Filter 24 is located upstream of heat exchanger 22 . The filter 24 covers the suction port 32 from inside the housing 21 . For example, the filter 24 filters the air sucked in from the suction port 32 and captures dust in the air. As described above, by configuring the filter 24 with a HEPA filter or the like, higher quality air cleaning processing can be achieved.

The vertical wind direction plate 25 and the left and right wind direction plate 29 may be configured as shown in FIGS. 2 to 4. FIG. 2 shows a state in which the vertical wind direction plate 25 is in a closed position Pc1 (sometimes referred to as a first closed position). FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing the configuration and operation of the indoor unit 10, and shows a state in which the vertical wind direction plate 25 is at the open position Po1 (sometimes referred to as the first open position). FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the configuration and operation of the indoor unit 10, showing a state in which the vertical wind direction plates 25 are in the open position and the left and right wind direction plates 29 are visible.

The vertical wind direction plate 25 may include a plurality of vertical wind direction plates 25A and 25B. The vertical wind direction plates 25A and 25B are members that respectively set (adjust) the wind direction of conditioned air in the vertical direction, and are also called vertical louvers. The vertical wind direction plate 25A forms a first flow path C1 for conditioned air, and the vertical wind direction plate 25B forms a second flow path C2 for conditioned air. The upper and lower wind direction plates 25A and 25B each have a shaft portion 41 and a plate portion 42.

The shaft portion 41 is formed into a substantially cylindrical shape extending in the X direction. The shaft portion 41 is rotatably supported by the housing 21 around a rotation axis Axl extending in the X direction. Note that the upper and lower wind direction plates 25A and 25B each have an individual rotation axis Axl. The plate portion 42 protrudes from the shaft portion 41 in a direction substantially perpendicular to the rotation axis Axl. The plate portion 42 is formed into a substantially rectangular plate shape extending in the X direction.

The vertical wind direction plate 25A is supported by a rotating shaft Axl, and the vertical wind direction plate motor 85 is controlled by the second control circuit 82, and the vertical wind direction plate 25A is moved between the closed position Pc1 shown in FIG. 2 and the open position Po1 shown in FIG. It is movable. The vertical wind direction plate 25B is supported by the rotation axis Axl, and the vertical wind direction plate motor 85 is controlled by the second control circuit 82, and the vertical wind direction plate 25B is moved between the closed position Pc1 shown in FIG. 2 and the open position Po1 shown in FIG. It is movable.

As shown in FIG. 2, the vertical wind direction plate 25A, when switched to the closed position Pc1, closes the air outlet 33 that serves as the outlet of the first flow path C1. The vertical wind direction plate 25B, when switched to the closed position Pc1, closes the air outlet 33 that serves as the outlet of the second flow path C2. The first flow path C1 and the second flow path C2 form the air outlet 33 of the indoor unit 10.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the vertical wind direction plate 25A opens the first flow path C1 in a state where it is switched to the open position Po1. The vertical wind direction plate 25B opens the second flow path C2 while being switched to the open position Po1.

The open position Po1 includes various positions where the upper and lower wind direction plates 25A and 25B open a part of the air outlet 33. For example, the opening position Po1 includes a position where the upper and lower wind direction plates 25A and 25B face substantially horizontally, a position where the upper and lower wind direction plates 25A and 25B face downward, and a plurality of positions between these two positions as shown in FIG. including. That is, the vertical wind direction plates 25A and 25B are rotatable between a position facing in a substantially horizontal direction and a position facing downward.

The vertical wind direction plates 25A, 25B located at the open position Po1 set the vertical direction (+Z direction, -Z direction) of the air discharged from the outlet 33, depending on the orientation of the vertical wind direction plates 25A, 25B. That is, as shown in FIG. 3, the indoor unit 10 emits wind in a substantially horizontal direction by oriented the upper and lower wind direction plates 25A and 25B in a substantially horizontal direction. On the other hand, since the vertical wind direction plates 25A and 25B face downward, the indoor unit 10 emits wind downward.

Further, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, the vertical wind direction plate 25A includes a plurality of (for example, two) vertical wind direction plates 25A1 and 25A2. The two vertical wind direction plates 25A1 and 25A2 are arranged in the left-right direction. The two vertical wind direction plates 25A are rotatable (movable) around the rotation axis Axl independently of each other. The two upper and lower wind direction plates 25A are driven by separate left and right wind direction plate motors 86. Specifically, in this embodiment, separate left and right wind direction plate motors 86 are provided for the two vertical wind direction plates 25A1 and 25A2 and one vertical wind direction plate 25B. That is, a plurality of left and right wind direction plate motors 86 (three as an example) are provided.

As shown in FIG. 4, the left and right wind direction plate 29 is supported by a rotation axis Ax2 (not shown) extending in the X direction, and the left and right wind direction plate motor 86 is controlled by the second control circuit 82, and -X It is movable between a rotational position toward the side end and a rotational position toward the +X side end.

The left and right wind direction plates 29 may include a plurality of left and right wind direction plates 29-1 to 29-k and 29-(k+1) to 29-2k. The plurality of left and right wind direction plates 29-1 to 29-k, 29-(k+1) to 29-2k are members that respectively set (adjust) the wind direction of the conditioned air in the left and right directions (-X direction, +X direction). , also called left and right louvers. In this embodiment, the left and right wind direction plates 29-1 to 29-k on the -X side and the left and right wind direction plates 29-(k+1) to 29-2k on the +X side are independently driven by separate left and right wind direction plate motors. Ru. That is, the directions of the left and right wind direction plates 29-1 to 29-k on the -X side and the left and right wind direction plates 29-(k+1) to 29-2k on the +X side can be independently controlled by the indoor unit control section 80. .

The left and right wind direction plates 29-1 to 29-k on the -X side are connected to a common rotation axis Ax2 (not shown), and the second control circuit 82 controls the left and right wind direction plates 29-1 to 29-k, and the opening position of the -X side end and the +X side are controlled by the second control circuit 82. It may be movable all at once between the open end position and the open position. The left and right wind direction plates 29-(k+1) to 29-2k on the +X side are connected to a common rotation axis Ax2 (not shown), and the left and right wind direction plate motor 86 is controlled by the second control circuit 82, and the left and right wind direction plates 29-(k+1) to 29-2k on the -X side end are It may be possible to collectively move between the open position and the +X side end open position.

Moreover, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, a plurality of wind direction setting mechanisms 202 are provided. The plurality of wind direction setting mechanisms 202 include a wind direction setting mechanism 202A and a wind direction setting mechanism 202B. The wind direction setting mechanism 202A includes a vertical wind direction plate 25A1 on the -X side, left and right wind direction plates 29-1 to 29-k on the -X side, and a vertical wind direction plate motor 85 and a left and right wind direction plate motor 86 that drive them. have The wind direction setting mechanism 202B includes a vertical wind direction plate 25A2 on the +X side, left and right wind direction plates 29-(k+1) to 29-2k on the +X side, and a vertical wind direction plate motor 85 and a left and right wind direction plate motor 86 that drive them. have The plurality of wind direction setting mechanisms 202 having such a configuration can each set the wind direction of the conditioned air blown into the room.

The ventilation member 26 shown in FIG. 2 can be switched between a closed position Pc2 (sometimes called a second closed position) and an open position Po2 (sometimes called a second open position). The ventilation member 26 can be placed in a closed position Pc2 covering at least a portion of the air outlet 33 (first channel C1) opened by the vertical wind direction plate 25A located in the open position Po1. The ventilation member 26 has an inner surface facing the ventilation passage 31 in the closed position Pc2 and an outer surface facing the outside in the closed position Pc2, and is provided with at least one ventilation port 56 that opens on the inner surface and the outer surface. In the closed position Pc2, the ventilation member 26 has a first blowout passage (first passage C1) through which the air sent by the fan 23 is discharged to the outside through the ventilation opening 56, and a ventilation opening 56. A second blowout flow path (second flow path C2) that is discharged to the outside can be formed adjacent to the first blowout flow path (first flow path C1) without passing therethrough. That is, the ventilation member 26 is inserted into a part of the flow path of the conditioned air blown into the room while being switched to the closed position Pc2, and changes the aperture ratio of the part of the flow path.

In the state where the ventilation member 26 is switched to the open position Po2, the insertion into a part of the flow path is canceled (for example, it is evacuated from a part of the flow path), and the opening ratio of the part of the flow path returns to its original value. will be returned to.

In the air conditioner 1, the indoor unit control unit 80 switches the ventilation member 26 to the closed position Pc2 when the air conditioner 1 enters a windless mode as an auxiliary operation mode. The ventilation member 26 is selectively inserted into the first channel C1 while being switched to the closed position Pc2 to change the aperture ratio of the first channel C1. On the other hand, the aperture ratio of the second channel C2, which is opened and closed by the vertical wind direction plate 25B in which the ventilation member 26 is not present, is maintained as it was. When the windless mode as the auxiliary operation mode is canceled, the indoor unit control section 80 switches the ventilation member 26 to the open position Po2. The ventilation member 26 is evacuated from the first channel C1 while being switched to the open position Po2, and the aperture ratio of the first channel C1 is returned to its original value.

For example, the ventilation member 26 can be opened and closed between an open position Po2 shown in FIG. 3 and a closed position Pc2 shown in FIG. FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the ventilation member 26.

As shown in FIG. 3, the ventilation member 26 is housed in the recess 21c of the casing 21 provided near the air outlet 33 in a state where the ventilation member 26 is switched to the open position Po2. The depression 21c is recessed from the inner surface 21d of the housing 21, which forms a part of the ventilation passage 31. The ventilation member 26 located at the open position Po2 is accommodated in the recess 21c, thereby being prevented from interfering with the wind flowing through the first flow path C1.

As shown in FIG. 5, the ventilation member 26 is inserted into the first channel C1 while being switched to the closed position Pc2, and changes the aperture ratio of the first channel C1. The opening ratio of the first channel C1 is smaller than before the ventilation member 26 is inserted. As shown in FIG. 6, the ventilation member 26 is a member in which a plurality of ventilation holes 56 are arranged in a plate-shaped plate portion 52. The ventilation member 26 is supported by the shaft portion 51, the switching motor 87 is controlled by the third control circuit 83, and the ventilation member 26 is movable between the closed position Pc2 and the open position Po2. Then, when moving to the closed position Pc2, as shown in FIG. 7, the wind moving in the ventilation passage 31 by the fan 23 passes through the ventilation opening 56 and changes to wind W2a.

On the other hand, the ventilation member 26 is not provided at the outlet 33 forming the second flow path C2. The aperture ratio of the second channel C2 is maintained as it was. In other words, the wind discharged from the second flow path C2 becomes wind W1a (laminar flow) that does not pass through the ventilation member 26. As a result, the wind W2a passing through the ventilation member 26 provided in the first channel C1 and the wind W1a passing through the second channel C2 where the ventilation member 26 is not provided are formed adjacent to each other. .

In this case, the flow velocity of the wind W2a increases as the aperture ratio of the first flow path C1 decreases. Therefore, the wind W2a draws in the wind W1a. As a result, the wind W1a hits the wind W2a. In addition, the wind W2a that has transitioned to turbulent flow is diffused and hits the wind W1a that flows adjacent to the wind W2a. In this way, the wind W1a and the wind W2a having different flow speeds and conditions (laminar flow or turbulent flow) flow adjacent to each other and collide with each other. That is, the wind W1a that does not pass through the ventilation member 26 (ventilation port 56) and the wind W2a that passes through the ventilation member 26 (ventilation port 56) interfere with each other.

When the wind W1a and the wind W2a hit each other, for example, a lump of the wind W1a and the wind W2a is broken up, and the turbulent wind W2a is carried by the wind W1a. The wind W1a and the wind W2a cause such various interactions and generate a turbulent flow Ws (mixed wind) that spreads over a wide range. As a result, the turbulent flow Ws discharged from the indoor unit 10 becomes closer to natural wind (so-called windless wind) than the wind immediately after discharged from the outlet 33. In this case, the ventilation member 26 may be formed in either the first flow path C1 or the second flow path C2, thereby suppressing an increase in the number of parts, complicating the configuration of the indoor unit 10, and increasing costs. can contribute to Further, the ventilation member 26 has a simple structure including only the ventilation opening 56, which can contribute to suppressing an increase in cost and a decrease in the strength of the ventilation member 26.

Returning to FIG. 1, the radar 2 is capable of detecting the position, moving speed, angle, and shape (height from the floor, etc.) of a detection target (for example, living body CR) indoors. The radar 2 is a Doppler radar such as an ultrasonic radar, a millimeter wave radar, a microwave radar, or a lidar. The radar 2 includes a transmitter 2a, a receiver 2b, and a signal processor 2c. The radar 2 generates radio waves such as millimeter waves and microwaves, sound waves, and light in a signal processing unit 2c, transmits them indoors from a transmitting unit 2a, and generates radio waves such as millimeter waves and microwaves, and transmits them into the room from a detection target (biological CR) that may be present in the room. The receiving section 2b receives the waves and passes them to the signal processing section 2c. The radar 2 is provided at any position on the front surface of the casing 21 of the indoor unit 10, and is preferably provided at a position where it can easily detect the position of the detection target (biological CR) indoors. The radar 2 may be embedded at a position near the center in the X direction in the +Y side portion of the housing 21, as shown by dotted lines in FIGS. 2 to 5. Note that it is desirable that the transmitter 2a and the receiver 2b be exposed from the surface of the housing 21, as shown in FIG. Details of the detection processing by the radar 2 will be described later.

FIG. 8 is an exemplary and schematic block diagram showing details of the indoor unit control section 80 of the indoor unit 10 (air conditioner 1) configured as described above.

The CPU that constitutes the indoor unit control section 80 reads out a control program installed and stored in a non-volatile storage device such as a ROM, and implements a module that executes various controls and arithmetic processing according to the program. The indoor unit control section 80 includes modules such as an operation mode control section 80a, a drive circuit control section 80b, a radar control section 80c, an air purification control section 80f, a wind control section 80g, and a temperature monitoring section 80h. Note that each of these modules may be configured by hardware. Moreover, each module may be integrated or divided for each function.

The operation mode control unit 80a switches between the "radar control mode" and the "normal control mode" described above as the operation modes of the indoor unit 10, as well as cooling operation mode, heating operation mode, dehumidification operation mode, humidification operation mode, and ventilation. Switches between operation mode, air purification operation mode, etc. These switching operations are performed based on command signals from the operating terminal 94a operated by the user, or automatically based on the detection results of the radar 2.

The drive circuit control unit 80b controls the first control circuit 81, the second control circuit 82, and the third control circuit based on the operation mode switched by the operation mode control unit 80a and the position of the living body CR included in the detection target existing in the room. The circuit 83 is controlled to control the operations of the fan 23, the vertical wind direction plate 25, the left and right wind direction plate 29, and the ventilation member 26.

The radar control unit 80c controls transmission and reception of the radar 2 (transmission unit 2a, reception unit 2b), and also controls the signal processing unit 2c to obtain analysis results (detection results) of transmitted waves and received waves. Note that the radar 2 may enable the detection process after the indoor unit 10 is activated by operating the operating terminal 94a, or may always stand by in standby mode regardless of the activation of the indoor unit 10 and perform the initial setting, for example. When the movement (motion) of an object (detection target) is detected indoors, normal activation may be performed to obtain information such as the presence or absence of a detection target, the number of detection targets, and shape information of the detection target.

The air cleaning control unit 80f controls whether or not the air cleaning process in the room R is executed, the efficiency of air cleaning, etc., depending on the detection status of the living body CR in the room R. The air cleaning control section 80f controls the air cleaning unit 4, and executes, for example, an electrostatic precipitator type air control process. As described above, the air cleaning unit 4 includes a high-pressure discharge section and the like in order to charge dirt substances such as dust contained in the air sucked in through the suction port 32. In this case, the air purification control unit 80f controls the phone motor 84 via the first control circuit 81 to adjust the strength of the fan 23, thereby adjusting the amount of air sucked from the suction port 32 to improve air purification efficiency. adjustments can be made.

The wind control unit 80g controls the direction of the wind (for example, cooling air, heating air, etc.) blown out from the air outlet 33 and the direction of the air blown out, depending on the presence of a detection target (biological CR) in the room R that can be detected by the radar 2. control the quality of The wind control unit 80g controls the vertical wind direction plate motor 85 via the second control circuit 82 to control the position of the vertical wind direction plate 25 in the left and right direction. Further, the wind control unit 80g controls the left and right wind direction plate motor 86 via the left and right wind direction plate motor 86 to control the position of the left and right wind direction plate 29 in the left and right direction. The wind control unit 80g can appropriately change the direction (reaching position) of the wind blown out from the air outlet 33 by controlling the direction of the vertical wind direction plate 25 and the left and right wind direction plate 29 in combination. That is, the wind control unit 80g can control the plurality of wind direction setting mechanisms 202 to set the direction of the air blown out from the air outlet 33.

For example, the wind control unit 80g controls some of the plurality of wind direction setting mechanisms 202 (wind direction setting mechanisms 202A, 202B) so that the wind direction is directed toward the wall of the room based on the detection result of the room temperature sensor 3B (temperature sensor). (on the other hand). For example, during cooling operation, some of the plurality of wind direction setting mechanisms 202 are controlled so that the wind direction is directed toward a relatively high temperature wall. Further, during heating, some of the plurality of wind direction setting mechanisms 202 are controlled so that the wind direction is directed toward a relatively low-temperature wall. Also, based on the detection result of the radar 2 (biological sensor), other parts of the plurality of wind direction setting mechanisms 202 (wind direction setting mechanisms 202A, 202B). For example, the wind control unit 80g can control the wind direction setting mechanism 202 so that the wind always hits the biological body CR, and can improve the refreshing feeling during cooling control, for example. Conversely, the wind control unit 80g finds a position (absent area) where the living body CR does not exist and controls the wind direction setting mechanism 202 so that the wind does not hit the living body CR, thereby reducing the discomfort of being directly hit by the wind. Can be done. Note that the wind control unit 80g may periodically change the direction of the wind to alternately create a state in which the wind blows and a state in which the wind does not blow.

An example of controlling the wind direction by the wind control section 80g will be described with reference to FIGS. 9 and 10. FIG. 9 is an exemplary and schematic side view showing a room in which an indoor unit in the embodiment is installed. FIG. 10 is an exemplary and schematic plan view showing a room in which an indoor unit in the embodiment is installed.

As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the room R (space) in which the indoor unit 10 is installed is surrounded by a plurality of walls RW. The plurality of walls RW include a ceiling wall RW1, a floor wall RW2, and a plurality of standing walls RW3 to RW6. In the examples shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the indoor unit 10 is attached to the standing wall RW3. Further, the standing wall RW5 includes a base portion RWa provided with a window RWb (opening), and a window glass RWc inserted into the window RWb. In this case, the room temperature sensor 3B detects at least the temperature (wall surface) of the ceiling wall RW1, the floor wall RW2, and the standing walls RW4 to RW6. Note that the room temperature sensor 3B may also detect the temperature of the standing wall RW3. Further, the targets for setting the wind direction of the wind direction setting mechanism 202 are the floor wall RW2 and the standing walls RW4 to RW6. Note that the wind direction setting target of the wind direction setting mechanism 202 may include other walls (ceiling wall RW1, standing wall RW3).

In such a room R, for example, during the daytime in summer, the amount of heat in the window glass RWc increases due to sunlight, and the temperature of the window glass RWc and thus the vertical wall 5 becomes high. As an example, if the detection result of the room temperature sensor 3B is that the temperature of the window glass RWc of the standing wall RW5 is the highest among the plurality of walls RW, the wind control unit 80g performs the following control. That is, the wind control unit 80g sets the wind direction of the wind direction setting mechanism 202B, which is closer to the standing wall RW5, of the wind direction setting mechanisms 202A and 202B, to the direction toward the highest temperature region (for example, the window glass RWc) of the standing wall RW5. The wind direction setting mechanism 202B is controlled as follows. Thereby, the temperature of sensible heat of the window glass RWc can be lowered. That is, the sensible heat of the window glass RWc of the vertical wall RW5, which is a heat source for the inside of the room R, can be cooled.

Further, the wind control unit 80g controls the wind direction setting mechanism 202A based on the detection result of the radar 2 so that the wind direction of the wind direction setting mechanism 202A is directed toward the living body CR. Note that the wind control unit 80g may control the wind direction setting mechanism 202A based on the detection result of the radar 2 so that the wind direction of the wind direction setting mechanism 202A is in a direction that avoids the living body CR.

Here, in the dehumidification mode, the control unit 200 controls the refrigerant circuit so that the temperature of the air blown into the room R is lower than the temperature set by the operating terminal 94a. In this case, in the examples shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the air sucked into the indoor unit 10 is cooled by heat exchange with the heat exchanger 22, and moisture is removed. The cooled air is blown out toward the standing wall RW5 (window glass RWc), is warmed by hitting the standing wall RW5 (window glass RWc), and is diffused into the room R. As a result, the air in the room R is dehumidified. That is, so-called reheat dehumidification is performed. In this reheating and dehumidification, the sensible heat of the wall RW is used, so an increase in electricity costs is suppressed. Further, since the air from which moisture has been removed by the heat exchanger 22 of the indoor unit 10 can be warmed by the relatively high-temperature vertical wall RW, dehumidification can be performed without lowering the temperature inside the room R too much. Note that the temperature of the cold air blown out may be adjusted depending on the temperature of the standing wall RW5. Further, when the temperature of the standing wall RW5 decreases due to exposure to cold air, the wind direction is set so that the wind is blown out to other walls RW having a higher temperature.

The temperature monitoring unit 80h controls the operation mode control unit 80a based on the temperature (room temperature) provided from the room temperature sensor 3, and executes at least cooling control (control of heat exchange mode) regardless of the operation of the operating terminal 94a. be able to. For example, if a living body CR is detected in the room R by the radar 2, and if the room temperature deviates from a predetermined temperature by the temperature monitoring unit 80h, for example, if it becomes 32°C or higher, regardless of the operation of the operating terminal 94a, First, cooling control by the indoor unit 10 is started. For example, if the biological CR is a child, infant, pet, etc., and cannot appropriately judge the room temperature or operate the operating terminal 94a, or even if the biological CR is an adult, it may be unable to appropriately judge the room temperature or operate the operating terminal 94a due to illness, etc. Even if this is not possible, the temperature inside the room R (room) can be maintained appropriately. In particular, automatic cooling control is effective in preventing heatstroke and the like (reducing the burden on biological CR). In addition, when a living body CR is detected and the room temperature reaches a predetermined temperature or higher, the temperature monitoring unit 80h cooperates with the wind control unit 80g and blows air toward the detected living body CR for a predetermined time from the start of cooling control. , the body temperature may be lowered efficiently, and after a predetermined period of time has elapsed, the wind blowing direction may be changed to a direction in which no living body CR is present, or the control may be switched to a calm feeling control. In this case, it is possible to effectively reduce the temperature burden on the biological CR, and after the burden on the biological CR is deemed to have been reduced, a more comfortable environment in the room R is provided to the biological CR. It becomes easier to do.

Note that the temperature monitoring unit 80h may automatically perform heating control (control of heat exchange mode) when the room temperature falls below a predetermined temperature. In this case as well, the room temperature can be automatically maintained at a comfortable level, similar to air conditioning control.

As described above, the air conditioner 1 of this embodiment includes the plurality of wind direction setting mechanisms 202, the room temperature sensor 3B (room temperature sensor 3B), the radar 2 (biological sensor), and the control unit 200. Each of the plurality of wind direction setting mechanisms 202 can set the wind direction of the conditioned air blown into the room R. Room temperature sensor 3B detects the temperature of wall RW in room R. Specifically, the room temperature sensor 3B detects the temperature of the wall surface of the wall RW. The radar 2 detects the living body CR in the room R. The control unit 200 controls some of the plurality of wind direction setting mechanisms 202 so that the wind direction is directed toward the wall RW based on the detection result of the room temperature sensor 3B. Furthermore, the control unit 200 controls other parts of the plurality of wind direction setting mechanisms 202 based on the detection results of the radar 2 so that the wind direction is directed towards the living body CR or in a direction that avoids the living body CR.

According to such a configuration, the wind direction of some of the plurality of wind direction setting mechanisms 202 is directed toward the wall RW, and the wind direction of another part of the plurality of wind direction setting mechanisms 202 is directed toward the living body CR or the direction toward the living body CR. The direction is to avoid CR. Therefore, it is possible to control the air blowing to the living body CR in the room R while suppressing an increase in the unevenness of the temperature distribution in the room R.

In the air conditioner 1, for example, the control unit 200 controls the direction in which the wind direction is directed toward an area of the wall RW where the wind direction can be set and where the temperature detected by the room temperature sensor 3B is the highest (for example, the window glass RWc). A part of the plurality of wind direction setting mechanisms 202 is controlled so that the following is achieved.

According to such a configuration, an increase in unevenness in the temperature distribution within the room R can be further suppressed.

The air conditioner 1 includes, for example, a refrigerant circuit 201. The refrigerant circuit 201 performs air conditioning. In the dehumidification mode, the control unit 200 controls the refrigerant circuit 201 so that the temperature of the air blown into the room R is lower than the set temperature.

According to such a configuration, the dehumidification efficiency in the room R can be improved.

Next, a modification of the first embodiment will be described. In this modification, the control unit 200 controls the control unit 200 so that the wind direction is directed toward the area (for example, the window glass RWc) where the temperature detected by the room temperature sensor 3B is the highest among the walls RW set in advance as the air blowing target. A portion of the plurality of wind direction setting mechanisms 202 is controlled. The objects to be blown are, for example, the standing walls RW4 to RW6. In this case, even if the ceiling wall RW1 or the floor wall RW2 has the highest temperature among the walls RW, the ceiling wall RW1 or the floor wall RW2 is not the target of air blowing, so the air is blown in the direction toward the ceiling wall RW1 or the floor wall RW2. The wind direction is not set. Note that the objects to be blown may include the ceiling wall RW1 and the floor wall RW2.

According to such a configuration, it is easy to simplify the process of controlling the wind direction by the control unit 200.

<Second embodiment>
FIG. 11 is a front view illustratively and schematically showing the indoor unit 10 of the air conditioner 1 in the second embodiment. FIG. 12 is a side view exemplarily and schematically showing the indoor unit 10 of the air conditioner 1 in the second embodiment.

As shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, this embodiment differs from the first embodiment in a plurality of wind direction setting mechanisms 202 of the indoor unit 10. The wind direction setting mechanism 202 of this embodiment is a panker louver. The panker louver can change the wind direction to the top, bottom, left, or right of the panker louver. The wind direction setting mechanism 202 is distributed and provided on the two side walls 21g and 21h of the casing 21 of the indoor unit 10 and the spanning portion 21i. The wind direction setting mechanism 202 provided on the side walls 21g and 21h can set the wind direction in a range including the side (left direction or right direction) of the housing 21. The wind direction setting mechanism 202 provided in the spanning portion 21i can set the wind direction in a range including the front of the housing 21. Further, each of the plurality of wind direction setting mechanisms 202 is provided with a blower fan 220 (see FIG. 14). Thereby, the air volume can be adjusted for each air direction setting mechanism 202. For example, the air volume may be increased as the air is blown to areas with higher temperatures. In addition, when blowing air to the biological CR, when the temperature of the biological CR is relatively high (for example, hot), the amount of air blown to the biological CR is increased, and when the temperature of the biological CR is relatively low (for example, (when sleeping), the amount of air blown to the living body CR may be reduced. Note that the blowing fan 220 does not need to be provided separately for each of the wind direction setting mechanisms 202, and may include one common fan (for example, a fan similar to the fan 23 of the first embodiment), and may be provided for each of the wind direction setting mechanisms 202 ( It is also possible to have a configuration in which the opening degree of the panker louver can be adjusted.

The wind direction setting mechanism 202 includes a support section 205 and a louver section 210 rotatably (position changeable) supported by the support section 205. A motor for driving the wind direction setting mechanism 202 is provided for each of the wind direction setting mechanisms 202 .

FIG. 13 is a front view exemplarily and schematically showing the wind direction setting mechanism 202 of the air conditioner 1 in the second embodiment. FIG. 14 is a diagram schematically showing an example of the flow of air blown out from the wind direction setting mechanism 202 of the air conditioner 1 in the second embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 13, the louver portion 210 of the wind direction setting mechanism 202 includes an outer cylindrical portion 211, an inner cylindrical portion 212, and a plurality of plate portions 213. The inner cylindrical part 212 is located inside the outer cylindrical part 211. The plurality of plate parts 213 extend radially from the inner cylindrical part 212 to the outer cylindrical part 211 . Air passing through the cylindrical hole 212a of the inner cylindrical portion 212 becomes a turbulent flow. can be generated. Moreover, the air passing through the space 213a between the plate parts 213 becomes a laminar flow. When turbulent wind and laminar wind meet, the air flow spreads out and moves over a larger surface, allowing the air to be blown over a wider area. FIG. 14 shows the air flow described above.

FIG. 15 is an exemplary and schematic plan view showing a room R in which the indoor unit 10 according to the second embodiment is installed. As shown in FIG. 15, in this embodiment, the indoor unit 10 is attached to a vertical wall RW5. Further, a room temperature sensor 3B is installed in a position different from the indoor unit 10 in the room R. As an example, the room temperature sensor 3B is attached to the standing wall RW6.

The example of FIG. 15 is an example where the detection result of the room temperature sensor 3B is that the temperature of the window glass RWc of the standing wall RW5 is the highest among the plurality of walls RW. The wind control section 80g performs the following control. That is, the wind control unit 80g controls the wind direction setting mechanism 202B so that the wind direction of the wind direction setting mechanism 202 (the wind direction setting mechanism 202 of the side wall 21h) that is closer to the standing wall RW5 among the wind direction setting mechanisms 202 is directed toward the standing wall RW5. do. Thereby, the temperature of sensible heat of the window glass RWc can be lowered. Further, the wind control unit 80g controls the wind direction setting mechanism 202 based on the detection result of the radar 2 so that one or more wind directions of the other wind direction setting mechanisms 202 are directed toward the living body CR. Note that the wind control unit 80g may control another wind direction setting mechanism 202 based on the detection result of the radar 2 so that the wind direction of the wind direction setting mechanism 202 is in a direction that avoids the living body CR.

As described above, in this embodiment, the indoor unit 10 includes a plurality of wind direction setting mechanisms 202 and a casing 21 that supports the plurality of wind direction setting mechanisms 202, and is installed in the room R. The housing 21 has two side walls 21g and 21h, and a spanning portion 21i extending between the two side walls 21g and 21h. The plurality of wind direction setting mechanisms 202 are provided on the side walls 21g, 21h and the spanning portion 21i. Note that the wind direction setting mechanism 202 may be provided only on one of the side walls 21g and 21h.

According to such a configuration, the air blown out from the indoor unit 10 can be sent to a wide range of the room R. Therefore, an increase in unevenness in the temperature distribution within the room R can be further suppressed.

FIG. 16 is an exemplary and schematic side view showing a room R in which the indoor unit 10 is installed in the first modification of the second embodiment. As shown in FIG. 16, in this embodiment, the indoor unit 10 is attached to a vertical wall RW4. Further, a room temperature sensor 3B is installed in a position different from the indoor unit 10 in the room R. As an example, the room temperature sensor 3B is attached to the standing wall RW3.

The control unit 200 controls the refrigerant circuit 201 in the dehumidification mode so that the temperature of the air blown into the room R is lower than the temperature set by the operating terminal 94a. In this case, in the example shown in FIG. 16, the air sucked into the indoor unit 10 is cooled by heat exchange with the heat exchanger 22, and moisture is removed. The cooled air is blown out toward the ceiling wall RW1, is warmed by hitting the ceiling wall RW1, and is diffused into the room R. As a result, the air in the room R is dehumidified.

As described above, in this modification, at least one of the room temperature sensor 3B and the radar 2 (room temperature sensor 3B as an example) is installed at a different position from the indoor unit 10 in the room R.

According to such a configuration, the degree of freedom in installing the room temperature sensor 3B is improved. For example, the room temperature sensor 3B can be set at a location where substantially the entire room R (wide range) can be detected. Therefore, the detection accuracy of the room temperature sensor 3B is improved.

Note that both the room temperature sensor 3B and the radar 2 may be installed at a different position from the indoor unit 10 in the room R, or the radar 2 may be installed at a different position from the indoor unit 10 in the room R. It may be installed in

FIG. 17 is an exemplary and schematic plan view showing a room R in which the indoor unit 10 is installed in a second modified example of the second embodiment. As shown in FIG. 17, in the present modification, the plurality of walls RW of the room R include a ceiling wall RW1, a floor wall RW2, and a plurality of standing walls RW3 to RW6, as well as standing walls RW7 and RW8. The indoor unit 10 is attached to a standing wall RW5. Further, a room temperature sensor 3B is installed in a position different from the indoor unit 10 in the room R. As an example, one room temperature sensor 3B is attached to the standing wall RW6, and the other room temperature sensor 3B is provided to the standing wall RW3. In this modification, the room temperature and the temperature of the wall RW are determined from the detection results of both the two room temperature sensors 3B.

In addition, although the embodiment mentioned above was explained assuming the air conditioner 1 for a residence, for example, the structure of this embodiment is similarly applicable to various air conditioners 1. For example, the configuration of this embodiment can also be applied to air conditioners for commercial use (for stores, etc.), and similar effects can be obtained.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the above embodiments are merely examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. The embodiments described above can be implemented in various forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and changes can be made without departing from the gist of the invention. The above-mentioned embodiments are included within the scope and gist of the invention, and are also included within the scope of the invention described in the claims and its equivalents.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1...Air conditioner, 2...Radar (biological sensor), 3B...Room temperature sensor (temperature sensor), 10...Indoor unit, 21...Casing, 21g, 21h...Side wall, 21i...Wataru part, 200...Control unit, 201 ...refrigerant circuit, 202, 202A, 202B...wind direction setting mechanism, R...room, RW...wall, RW1...ceiling wall, RW2...floor wall, RW3 to RW8...standing wall, RWc...window glass (area).

Claims (6)

Multiple wind direction setting mechanisms, each of which can set the direction of the conditioned air blown into the room;
a temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the wall in the room;
a biosensor that detects a living body in the room;
Based on the detection result of the temperature sensor, a part of the plurality of wind direction setting mechanisms is controlled so that the wind direction is directed toward the wall, and based on the detection result of the biosensor, the wind direction is directed toward the wall. a control unit that controls another part of the plurality of wind direction setting mechanisms so that the wind direction is directed towards the living body or in a direction that avoids the living body;
Air conditioner with. It has the plurality of wind direction setting mechanisms and includes an indoor unit installed in the room,
The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the temperature sensor and the biological sensor is installed in a different position from the indoor unit in the room. The control unit controls the wind direction setting mechanisms of the plurality of wind direction setting mechanisms so that the wind direction is directed toward an area of the wall where the wind direction can be set and where the temperature detected by the temperature sensor is highest. control some
The air conditioner according to claim 1. The control unit controls the part of the plurality of wind direction setting mechanisms so that the wind direction is directed toward an area having the highest temperature detected by the temperature sensor among the walls set in advance as an air blowing target. control,
The air conditioner according to claim 1. comprising a refrigerant circuit that performs air conditioning of the air,
The control unit controls the refrigerant circuit so that the temperature of the air blown into the room is lower than a set temperature in the dehumidification mode.
The air conditioner according to claim 3 or 4. comprising the plurality of wind direction setting mechanisms and a casing supporting the plurality of wind direction setting mechanisms, and an indoor unit installed in the room;
The casing has two side walls and a spanning portion spanning the two side walls,
The plurality of wind direction setting mechanisms are provided on at least one of the side walls and the spanning portion,
The air conditioner according to claim 1.

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